In a study of analyst recommendations at the major brokerages, for the underlying components of the S&P 500, Priceline.com, Inc. (NASD: PCLN) has taken over the #78 spot from Crown Castle International Corp (NYSE: CCI), according to ETF Channel. Below is a chart of Priceline.com, Inc. versus Crown Castle International Corp plotting their respective rank within the S&P 500 over time (PCLN plotted in blue; CCI plotted in green):

In forming the rank, the analyst opinions from the major brokerage houses were tallied, and averaged; then, the underlying components were ranked according to those averages. Investors often interpret analyst opinions from different angles — a popular analyst pick could mean that many sharp minds individually came to the same bullish conclusion, and therefore the stock should do well… but it could also mean that if the company makes any slight stumble, that would come as a negative surprise and cause a downward impact on the stock. Click here to find out The Current Top 25 Broker Analyst Picks of the S&P 500 »

From the other direction, when companies have a lowrank among analysts, it isn’t necessarily the case that investors should conclude that the stock will perform poorly. It can mean that of course, but: a bullish investor who can make a case for a positive future catalyst could also take the contrarian angle and recognize that there is lots of room for upside since the stock is presently so out of favor.

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